-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Imagine an apple-cheeked telephone operator from the early 1900s happily plugging in wires to connect Person A to Person B . Now imagine a kajillion operators doing that at the same time .

That 's kind of how the WWW works , linking up humans so that we 're now a mere 4.74 degrees of separation away from any human on Earth -LRB- take that , Kevin Bacon ! -RRB- .

Much of that interaction is unintentional , the smashing of two particles that happen to sideswipe each other while commenting on the same YouTube video or clicking through Christian Mingle profiles . But sometimes we purposely reach out to join hands across the Internet .

And , as with every social interaction online , some people seriously foul up the digital outreach .

Here , some basic guidelines for polite e-introductions .

When e-mailing a complete stranger

Err on the side of formality , using `` Dear -LRB- name -RRB- '' over `` Hey ! '' Explain exactly what you want out of an e-mail correspondence -LRB- `` to tell you about my small business '' or `` to see if you 'd be open to a brief informational interview '' makes a lot more sense than `` to network with you '' -RRB- and add a little flattery to sweeten the deal -LRB- i.e. , why you found the target worth e-mailing -RRB- .

Keep the whole thing to a paragraph or less and hope for the best . Should it go unanswered , you can just blame his or her overtaxed inbox .

When contacting someone you 've met

Begin by reminding them of how you met with an identifying detail . If it was a networking event , for example , simply announcing , `` It was great to meet you at the anachronistic Mardi Gras-themed mixer last week ! '' wo n't do the trick . You 've got to add something like , `` I really enjoyed chatting about the true definition of a beignet and your years at Company X. ''

When you know Person A and Person B and are introducing the two

Several times in life , you 'll have to play the role of connector , answering a friend 's plea to connect her to someone else in your circle . This is the kind of delicate social dance that used to need much instruction -- witness the flipping long chapter on doing it in real life within Emily Post 's 1922 tome , `` Etiquette . ''

When connecting , say , a nonprofit employee who 's planning to ask your D-list celebrity friend to participate in a phone-a-thon , the most polite option is to privately contact the fading star first and ask if she 'd mind if you linked them up . If you 're confident that everyone involved will be happy with the connection , though , you can just go ahead and put them both on a `` Bleeding Heart , meet Has-Been '' type e-mail and then slip graciously into the background as they have their conversation .

Oh , and pay attention to which e-mail addresses you 're giving out -- if you 're connecting a job seeker with an employed friend for networking purposes , he 'll probably prefer to be contacted via his work address , not his private one .

When asking your friend to introduce you to someone

After your benevolent contact has made the intro , take him off the reply-all chain -LRB- so he is n't trapped in the e-mail crossfire as you two discuss the cupcakes-for-kitten-spaying fundraiser you 're planning -RRB- , and separately write to her to say thanks . Then follow the immortal words of the Beatles and just let it be . Do n't ask her to follow up with you if the D-lister does n't respond , and do n't blame her for a lack of response .

Again , we 're all drowning in e-mails , LinkedIn messages , Facebook notes and other beeping and blooping messages . If that person ca n't help , just go back to the drawing board -- the one with a kajillion operators connecting humans at dizzying rates .

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As with every social interaction online , some people seriously foul up the digital outreach

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Here are some basic guidelines for polite e-introductions

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When e-mailing a stranger , err on the side of formality , using `` Dear -LRB- name -RRB- '' over `` Hey ! ''